Every chore seems to take twice as long in the snow and cold. Picking up poo becomes chiseling away at frozen manure piles and pushing the wheelbarrow through the snow. Topping off water involves breaking ice, hooking and unhooking hoses, etc. Even just getting dressed to go outside takes longer.
This winter has been especially soul sucking because I feel like I’m out of practice; it’s been quite a few years since we had such a cold and snowy winter.
I really feel this. I am nearly defeated already and more is coming. I spent the last two weeks getting my arena rideable, just in time for more snow. I was explaining to my boarder friends why sometimes it’s just easier to pick up the manure with your hands because if you try to use a pitchfork on frozen uneven ground, the tines catch and the poo flies everywhere.
@PaddockWood, I feel that too. A dry lot is great until it turns into a sheet of compacted ice and it’s the only place the horses can access water and shelter. Ugh. I spread screenings on my worst areas this week. It’s about to get covered in more snow so I guess that’s good? Until it turns to ice again.
With the warm Temps Friday, we got a lot of melting snow, refreezing overnight. Got my cleats out today!! Wore them outside all day, while walking like a Penguin!! Take little steps to keep your weight over your feet. No slips or slides on that slick ice. Will have cleats handy until it warms up again.
Clear skies tonight, lots of stars out as the Temps start dropping. Mid Michigan here.s
Amen, Sistah!
Then removing layers when you get in 
If I could find a Carhartt-like one-piece that did not require a struggle to break in or cost $$$ & required zero.layering beneath it, I’d consider my prayers answered 
I need these! Shuffling across the ice on my driveway to the barn today (W. Mi). Sucks. I can’t stride out but don’t want to fall. Was supposed to get 12 " of lake effect, but they pushed it off until Sunday night/Monday. And more lake effect during the week. I want the snow so it covers the ice. Horses will go out tomorrow morning maybe, but will be in the few days afterwards. They do have big stalls - when my old horse died, I split his stall up to make my 12 x 10 stalls into 16 x 10 stalls, so they have a nice space to be inside (but more work for me to clean). All heated buckets ready for the single-digit days, and even my chickens have heated dishes. I will only use the heated for the next few days, they do have insulated buckets, too, but I expect them to freeze up.
I am also out of practice and not ready for this. Sigh.
I saw this suggestion too and have been practicing. It’s not easy!
It becomes easier after you forget to do it and wipe out from normal walking. I do that at least once a year 
it’s a harsh but clear reminder to get my ‘kid that doesn’t want to go to school walk’ on whenever there is ice 
I’m worried about the predicted amounts of snow in some places that barely ever have any snow. I’ve lived in Alabama for 20 years now, and only had snow twice. They’re predicting three inches where I live, and that’s going to be dangerous for so many who don’t respect how slippery it can get.
I saw on the weather channel that Lake Charles LA is predicted to get at least 3 inches also. And Houston getting snow is bizarre to me. They’ve actually opened the warming stations where I live, from Sunday evening through Thursday noon time, and that’s unheard of.
For keeping warm, I highly suggest adding an insulating layer to your bottom half. I have a one piece “snowsuit” from Redingkote and it really keeps me warm without any extra layers underneath. If it’s really cold, I add a neck gaiter and hand warmers.
Then again, this is a totally different issue if you don’t have the proper setup for ALL HORSES to have ACCESS to proper shelter. If they are scared away by another horse, as I said, then that’s a different issue and you’ll need to (for example) have numerous shelter options and/or separate the bossy horses that are the problem.
If a horse is cold, they will seek shelter. If they have no shelter, then they obviously can’t seek it.
I think you are assuming most people are smart enough to truly understand herd dynamics and have a really good handle on how to manage problems and changes AND have the means to do so. Many people can’t or don’t. For those horses, it is up to their people to at least be smart enough to force them to take shelter.
Closest purchase was bagged lime - $20 for 50 lbs and wow did that work. Thank you for that idea. I still had lots of icey areas on my huge dry lot after all my efforts yesterday and this helped the ponies move around and head out on the fields with confidence. Woohoo! They gotta stay moving and happy.
and WOW - I just received a loud phone alert that we will have a dangerous snow squall in the next 30 min. Stay safe everyone!
Where are you? Hang in there!
Central Ohio. I mean, have you ever had screeching tones out of your phone that a snow squall is about to hit?
No!
And I don’t see much of anything on radar nor is there anything going on outside. Must be a patch somewhere. It would be a life saver to get that tone and if out driving know it means pull the EFF over and get off the road. I worked in the ER in college and they got life flights. That scarred me for life. NO driving in bad weather.
Wise decision. If you aren’t needing to get to a hospital ASAP, then stay home!
Zero degrees true, feels like -15F this morning.
They have hay literally everywhere. Loose, nets, slow feed, big holes, you name it. This morning when I woke up and checked on them, they were all inside taking advantage of the deep bedding (and had polished off the ~9 flakes of hay available to them- I will have to do a later night check tonight)
I have had several horses that were just afraid to go inside during a storm, nothing to do with their herdmates. It seems they feel a very strong need to see what ever predator might be lurking around. I have one like that now. She spooks badly when she goes in to eat her mash, which spooks my gelding, so they both stand out in the weather. They are blanketed with neck covers (she is PSSM, and he has arthritis so they do better with blankets), and have a round bale in a hay hut. Their teff is inside.
They will be locked in the arena tonight, mostly to keep their water from freezing solid and to keep the pipes in the heated tackroom from freezing as the wind blows in the door onto the wall where the pipes come up.
I don’t currently use heated water buckets, I use a large igloo cooler with the cover cut in 1/2 so they can drink while part of it is still covered. It is located just inside the door. If I add to it at night, it gets a thin coat of ice by morning if it drops into the teens at night. If it gets too cold for too long, the ice gets thicker, so I break it, scoop it out and add fresh water.
For me, this year I invested in Ororo heated gear. Best decision ever! Love their flip top mittens, definitely the best buy I have made in years! Thankfully the storm left us with only 3-4 inches. I shoveled when I fed this am. Going out to plow with the tractor soon.
Well we are -16C this morning, which is the coldest we have been this winter… because it’s been an “unnaturally warm” winter so far. We have been, in previous years, more like -30C to -40C at this time of year, so we are not complaining much about -16C.
I am bringing horses in from winter grazing today, into the winter barn area, where they will start to be fed hay. It’s late this year by 3 weeks, usually this happens at the beginning of January.
We have very little snow this year, scary low snowpack. Hoping for MORE snow before spring.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
